


Unworthy

by yamarazazzy



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21706189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamarazazzy/pseuds/yamarazazzy
Summary: "Aegon was not called the Unworthy without cause.""King Aegon, he had any woman he wanted, married or not.""Aenys was Weak, Maegor was Cruel, and Aegon II and Rhaenyra tore the realm asunder, but none of them were as unworthy of the name Targaryen as Aegon, fourth of his name."
Relationships: Falena Stokeworth/Aegon IV
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Unworthy

**Author's Note:**

> Aegon IV is famous for his debauchery, especially for his great lusts towards the woman of his time. Songs are sung about his nine mistresses, great stories are told about his bastards, but it's well known that tales and songs are often far from truthful, and the truth, well, the truth is always more complicated than one would like to believe...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Falena Stokeworth is twenty four when she first beds Prince Aegon Targaryen, a boy as beautiful as his grandparents, Princess Rhaenrya and Prince Daemon, were said to have been, although he is only fourteen at the time of their first coupling. History will praise her as pretty and lively, but looks alone would not have been enough to catch the eye of the cold prince whose disdain for his Uncle's court and its women was already plain for all to see. No, to catch a dragon one must be more than pretty, more than lively, one must be clever, and although history doesn't know it, Falena was more than just a little clever when she decided to pursue Prince Aegon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone,
> 
> This is the first chapter of a planned series exploring the life of King Aegon IV(the Unworthy) and his many lovers/paramours. This chapter focuses on Aegon and his first official mistress, Falena Stokeworth, who supposedly made him a man at fourteen by taking his virginity(ew). Now, not much is known about Aegon IV's mistresses aside from their relationships with him and I've always wondered about the more personal aspects of his relationships with them. What did they think of being his mistresses? How did he view them? What kind of screwed up psychology led to the creation of such a grotesque caricature of a man? Hopefully I'll be able to answer at least some of those questions here. If you like this story, please leave KUDOS and any constructive comments you like!
> 
> (Disclaimer, I own nothing, all characters are property of George R.R Martin and GoT).

**Falena Stokeworth**

Falena gazed at the lithe body of the young prince beside her with a mixture of pity and satisfaction. Prince Aegon had not been the lover she had longed for as a child, although he certainly boasted the Valyrian Beauty the Targaryens were so famous for. She traced his sharp jaw with a light hand, smiling as he sighed in his sleep, rolling over to lean into her touch.

“Poor boy,” she murmured softly, stroking his silver-gold hair. “Poor, poor boy.” he sighed again, a soft, sweet thing he would never have allowed to escape during wakefulness, and Falena could only shake her head sadly. Prince Aegon was not the Targaryen Prince she had hoped to share a bed with, he wasn’t even her second choice really. When she was younger, she had been fond of Prince Jaehaerys, son of the late King Aegon the Second, and, as a playmate of his twin sister Jaehaera, she believed herself in a good position to gain the future king’s favor. She had been very in love with him then, in the innocent, light way children love each other, and part of her still believed he had grown fond of her as well. She can still remember a warm day when he had braided flowers into her hair and called her the fairest lady in the land, and in that moment she had believed, as children do, that she would truly get a happily ever after. Yet, it was not to be, and when he died, well, more like when he was brutally murdered, she and Jaehaera had cried together long into the night, Jaehaera for half her soul, Falena for the boy she believed was her soulmate.

Sadness still struck Falena as she remembered the young prince and his twin sister, both of whom were short-lived in a way that inspired feelings of tragedy. Jaehaera had been such a small girl, even before the incident, so delicate it often seemed the wind might just blow her away. Many had called the young princess simple, but ultimately the girl was sweet, kind, and loving, a good natured girl living in a very, very bad time. Perhaps that's why the death of her twin and the events of the Dance of Dragon broke something deep within her. What was left of Jaehaera after the dance was hardly a person at all and was more like an endless broken heart that seemed intent on consuming itself in an attempt to stop its endless pain, a broken spirit chained to a brittle body. In a way, the cold, broken spirit that had eventually killed itself and ended the line of King Aegon II reminded her much of the boy, well, man now thanks to Falena, beside her. He too seemed to have a broken spirit that sought to fill itself, although his seemed to seek pleasure as a cure in order to hide a deeper hurt, whereas Jaehaera had never sought to consume anything other than herself. Although, if Falena was being honest, that broken aspect of Aegon’s was hardly unique, all the Targaryens were rather broken now, even King Aegon, third of his name, who Falena had also hoped to marry. She was realistic enough to know, even back then, that a marriage between her and the king was unlikely. The Stokeworths were hardly an important enough house to gain such an honor and the Council of Regents would never have approved a match, even if she had somehow made it into the young king’s bed as she sometimes planned, but after her “accident” on the Serpentine Steps, well, those dreams lay broken beneath her like her leg.

“Falena?” the Prince murmured sleepily as she continued to stroke his hair.

“I’m here, lover.” she replied softly, gazing at the pinched look that overcame his young, handsome face.

“Don’t leave.” he whispered, his voice almost pitiful. “Don’t leave me like _she_ did.” Falena’s heart broke a little at his words, knowing that "she" could only refer to Aegon’s mother, Lady Larra Rogare, who had abandoned her family so long ago for Lys, and she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

“I won’t.” she answers, holding him closer as he drifted off into sleep once more, the tear escaping his fluttering eye just reaffirming how all Targaryens were a little broken these days. Some of them, like Prince Viserys and King Aegon buried their broken hearts in their duty, but others often tried to heal their hurts in less beneficial ways, and even at fourteen when she had first bedded him, Falena had known Prince Aegon was one of the latter. There was something unquenchable inside the young prince, a thirst and hunger that had only grown as he himself grew. Beautiful as he was, Aegon was already known to have ridiculous appetites when hunting, evident from when he first picked up a bow, and a coldness about him that often left his younger siblings in tears. If rumor was to be believed, his heart had gone back to Lys with his lady mother and her departure had left nothing but an endless hole which could never be filled, not by his father, not by his siblings, not by anyone, well, except Falena at the moment, although how long she would be able to fill his weeping heart with their passion she did not know. All she knew was that he longed to feel the love that he felt he had been denied when his mother left him, something evident to her since their frantic seduction had begun. Aegon, of course, thought he had pursued her, but really, it had all been very carefully orchestrated on her part and she was definitely the pursuer, not the other way around.

She knew many other ladies were already glancing at the young Targaryen with hungry eyes, eager to marry a prince with such promised handsomeness and bare him children with purple eyes and hair that shone like silver and gold. Yet, all their entreaties, all their flirtations, all their attentions, had fallen uselessly upon the oldest son of Prince Viserys. If anything he seemed to find them boring. Falena, unlike other maidens who were so starstruck with the royal title he held, could tell that Prince Aegon had no interest in marriage and when he did eventually marry, he would no doubt have to marry a Targaryen or Velryon given how few Targaryens there were left. So, Falena approached her situation logically, with the same intelligence that had led Lord Unwin Peake to have her pushed down the stairs to prevent her from using her silver tongue to ensnare the young King. No, when she chased Prince Aegon, she never spoke of love or marriage. No, she had teased him at first, rousing first his anger with her japes, than his interest, challenging him to conquer her like he had once dreamed of conquering a dragon. She whispered obscenities in his ear about all his uncle’s regents that sent him falling to the floor with laughter, and revealed how clearly she despised the idea of marriage by telling him all the beds she had fallen into and how truly disappointing the great men of his uncle’s court had been. It didn’t take very much for her to arouse his desire, he was but fourteen after all, just feeling the first urges of manhood, so she wasn’t surprised when he pushed her against a wall one day and took her breath away with passionate, if inexperienced, kisses, nor was she surprised as he grew more bold in the following weeks, stroking her, caressing her, devouring her. He even claimed her, daring her to let anyone else kiss her. The one man she had let soon found himself missing both his cock and his title, which amused Falena more than scared her, although perhaps she was a little unnerved and made no complaint when he soon demanded she makes him a man. For so confident and cocky a lad, he turned out to be tragically inexperienced when it came to lovemaking and he was almost, almost bashful when he had first positioned himself between her legs. She smiled sweetly at his hesitation and taken over from there, gently guiding him into her and taking his virginity from him. She made him a man and he gave her the trophy of his virginity. In her opinion, it was really more than a fair trade. Although, she had not been expecting him to fall in love with her and when he had whispered,

“I love you.” to her in the dead of night she had been almost shocked beyond words. She had stared long and hard into those fierce purple eyes that were so often cruel and saw within them a glimmer of something. He was obviously lying, she didn’t think Aegon could actually feel love, but that spark in his eyes was certainly something.

“And I love you.” she had lied back easily, although all the while she was only thinking about how damaged the poor child was. As he had drifted off to sleep beside her that night, she had considered that spark shining from the violet depths of his eyes and realized, with a sigh, that it was not love she saw, but lust, passion, and desire. How sad that the poor boy really couldn’t tell the difference between the temporary satisfaction of lust and desire, and love. The far worse option, one that could only spell disaster, was that they were one and the same for him. Either way, she knew better than to think she could keep whatever his feelings were for her aflame forever. No, Falena understood Aegon perhaps better than he did himself and she saw that although he was soft and pliable in her embrace now, he was as fickle as a flame, and she would be discarded, thrown away, perhaps with a title and some gold if she was lucky, once he was done with her. He gripped her tighter in his sleep, drawing her out of her reverie, and she sighed a little sadly, not for herself, but for him. Although he was young, she could already tell her would never find true happiness and although that was its own tragedy, she couldn’t really find it in her heart to pity him, not really. He would likely be miserable his whole life and forever seek to find happiness in physical pleasures, but he would also no doubt hurt and discard countless lives in his quest for satisfaction. Falena was beyond determined not be one of those discarded lives. No, she had gotten this far, survived a war that had laid even the mighty Dragons low, and she would not let herself be tossed in the mud by a prince who was bound to be ruled by his passions, even if a small part of her heart had begun to care for him as well.

\--------------------------------

Aegon had long known nothing and no one in Westeros was good enough for him. He had learned this at a young age when his mother departed the stinking court of King’s Landing for the rich, lovely Lys, showing everyone how truly unworthy this damned place was. His father, Prince Jaehaerys, clearly wasn’t good enough for her, and neither were Aegon himself, or his pesky little siblings. Everything here was stinking and tainted, both by the blood of dragons spilt during the Dance and by the sheer commonness of everything. At first this had been hard for him to see and there were long nights when he had cried for her, silently of course, begging her to come back to him, or at least take him with her. Yet, she didn’t ever return for him despite his silent pleas, and slowly as he grew, he began to understand why she had left and the true ugly banality of life as a Targaryen. His father was boring, almost common in his stoic coldness, brilliant perhaps, but utterly passionless. How could a woman as beautiful and brilliant as Larra Rogare stay with someone like him? Not to mention his little sister Naerys, who was a wisp of a thing that nearly died anytime a cold draft blew. Truly, what mother could stay and love such a child? If not Naerys, than no doubt it was his brother Aemon, a following, lovestruck dolt, that drove her away. Well, him and Aegon, who no doubt was also unworthy of his mother, but he refused to think of that anymore. However, his family was nothing compared to the gnats who infested his uncle’s court, especially the women. Nowhere did he think there were worse women than here, where they all gaped at him like brainless beasts, their eyes wide with wonder at his beauty, as mindless as sheep and just about as good looking. He was too good for them, that much he knew, and he also knew that the ladies of the court had been more than cruel to his mother in their time, making their lips more than a little unfit for the kiss of the dragon and their faces repulsive to his bright eyes. They were all so common too, so easy, so pliable, so forgettable. Well, except one. Falena Stokeworth, the woman currently lying beside him, she was like no other woman Aegon had ever met.

When most women had been so boringly demure and proper, batting their eyelashes at him hoping he’d be flattered by their attention, she had openly mocked him. When most of the women at court had blushed when he came near and averted their eyes in shame, she had stared at him defiantly, with a smirk playing upon her plump, delicious lips. When most girls played the fool, she openly flaunted her knowledge, both of history and the stars, and of the debauched actions of the most powerful men at court. The things she knew and whispered in his ears would make a courtesan blush and he had sought her out many times for it, knowing she’d make him laugh harder than any murmur or jester could. He still remembered the first time he had kissed her, so long ago, but also not that far gone in the past.

“You should be careful with your words, Lady Falena.” he had told her one day as they strode down an empty hall together, the light shining brightly off her strawberry colored hair. “I could have you labeled a whore and driven through the streets naked for what you did with Ser Flowers.” she laughed at that, a low, rumbling sound that was nothing like the usual tinkling laughs of ladies.

“And the whole city would thank you for the opportunity to see me naked, your highness.” she responded gayly, light blue eyes sparkling mischievously. “And you would be the only boy denied the show.”

“Who says I wouldn’t watch?” he asked coyly, smirking at her with his usual charm.

“Your nursemaid.” she had replied snarkily, smirking back at him as he felt the heat rise to his face. Without thinking he had grabbed her shoulders and pressed her against a wall, eye to eye with her despite the fact she was almost a decade older.

“Your mouth never stops its mockery, does it?” he asked, his heart pumping in his chest with a feeling he had not experienced before.

“Not unless someone else stops it, your highness.” she replied cheekily, “but seeing as no one here will-” and then he had crashed his lips to hers. He had kissed people before, of course, but he had never felt the way he did when he kissed Falena. Her lips were warm against his and there was enough heat behind their actions that he wondered if they would burn. A fire consumed his chest, so light and warm he hoped it would never stop. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless and pinked lipped, and Aegon had never wanted anything more than to kiss her again.

“I could have your tongue cut out for your insolence.” he had muttered against her lips, pecking them again after each word.

“I assure you, my lord,” she whispered back, her breath ghosting against mouth. “Kissing me would not be nearly as fun if you did so.” he had gripped he face tightly at this, feeling the soft skin of her cheeks give way under the pads of his fingers.

“Fine, I shall spare your pretty mouth, but from now on it is mine, for me only.” she gently stroked his face at this, not a spark of fear in her blue eyes despite his threats. “You shall not let any other man touch it, I’ll not have it tainted by any of the dogs that inhabit my uncle’s court.”

“And what will you do to the next man I kiss who isn’t you?” she whispered sensually, their noses brushing lightly.

“I’ll cut off his cock and send it to you.” he muttered and seized her lips once more. When she finally pushed him away her eyes were dark and enticing.

“I’d like to see that.” she had replied and eventually she did when she let a knight taste what was his. He really should have had her killed too, for daring to spite him like she did, but instead he found himself in her chambers, staring down at her naked body as he crawled between her legs hesitantly and it had been him who lost something that day, not her. The strangest thing was, his fondness for her only grew after that and soon enough he was spending almost every night in her bed. He glanced at her now as she lay beside him, strawberry hair slightly dishevelled from their lovemaking, skin marred with marks of their passion, and that strange, warm feeling filled his chest once more as he looked at her. He knew this feeling, had almost forgotten what it was like, but he never wanted the fire to stop burning, not now that he had felt it warm his chest once more.

“I love you.” he murmured to her and her eyes had been like two pools shining in the moonlight as she looked at him.

“And I love you.” she responded with a smile, moaning as he lightly caressed her womanhood. He knew this couldn’t last, his father was already muttering about marriage and gods' help him, he would probably be shackled to his flat, wisp of a sister, but that was not a problem for tonight, not when he was with Falena and she made his chest feel warm and gave him more pleasure than he had ever experienced in his life. He figured eventually he’d tire of this, as he did with most things, and she’d lose the luster her rebellious spirit had given her, but for now she was his, hard won, and by gods he was going to enjoy this woman fully before he got bored with her. A part of him, a very small part that he laughed at when it dared rear its head, thought he might be in love with her, but even if he was, love hardly lasted. Hadn’t his mother loved his father? Hadn’t she loved him and his siblings? Had that stopped her from leaving him here in this awful place? No, it hadn’t, so even if he loved Falena, it wouldn’t mean anything in the long run, but for now, well, with her growing wet under his caresses and his manhood rising at the sight of her squirming body, he could easily see this going on for at least a little while longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure, I really don't like Aegon IV. He is actually one of the worst examples of abuse of power and prestige that I think I have ever come across in literature, but as I was cleaning up my knowledge of this era for this story, I realized that although Aegon IV could very likely have just been sociopathic, his...many, many issues could also have been caused, or encouraged by, the lasting trauma experienced by House Targaryen after the Dance of Dragons, along with his mother's flight back to Lys shortly after Naerys' birth. This trauma doesn't excuse Aegon IV's behavior, obviously, but as always with my stories, it's interesting to explore the context that can lead characters to behave in certain ways. In any case, this series is going to follow chronological order of Aegon IV's paramours, so the next chapter will focus on his wife, Queen Naerys, followed by his second mistress Megette, so stay tuned!


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